Trend watch: horizontal slats

Andrea Bellamy |

I apologize for the lack of posts lately; like many gardens at this time of year, I’m feeling rather exhausted. Time for a long nap.

Anyhoo, just wanted to share this article I came across in the Globe and Mail this weekend. In it, Canadian gardening guru Marjorie Harris writes that, “Horizontal strips of wood have a much more modern feel than traditional vertical fencing. Combining wood screens with greenery is an elegant way of blocking unwanted views without sacrificing light.”

All the photos in the article portrayed minimalist gardens using these horizontal slat-type fences. Well, I guess I’m on trend, I thought at first, having just installed a similar fence just weeks ago.

Then I started thinking about what makes this look “modern.” Is it just that traditional materials are used in a new way? It looks sleek and modern to me, but what makes it so? Why does “modern” always equate with minimalism?

Harris suggests that modernism “is something that is both a bit harder (the materials) and a bit softer (the plants).” I think that’s part of it — but does that sum it up, or is it just the tip of the iceberg?

Is this horizontal slat trend already starting to get stale? What IS modernism? Why does Marjorie Harris always look so angry? The People want to know!

I have no idea who Marjorie Harris is but I think she needs a new photographer. Just sayin’.

As to horizontal lines…..I think it’s because in modern architecture and design (think Eames and 1950s and Neutra) we see low slung design with long horizontal lines and planes of field. It’s about relationship to the land, not jutting or flouncing around on it.